Town of Bluffton increases social media venues to communicate with residents

Mayor Lisa Sulka wants you to tweet and post your opinions, suggestions, comments on the Town’s Twitter feeds and Facebook pages so she, other Town leaders and staff members can directly communicate with you.

The Town has established Twitter feeds for itself (@TownofBluffton) and the Bluffton Police Department (@BlufftonPolice) and has established a Facebook page for the police department (Bluffton Police). The Town’s Facebook page was established more than two years ago (Town of Bluffton Government).

“We know the Town needs to come to its residents versus residents coming to the Town. Social media venues give us a way to directly communicate to those most affected by Town projects, programs and events,” Sulka said.

“We felt it is important for the Bluffton Police Department to have its own social venues due to the fact police departments nationwide are solving community issues and crimes through social media,” Sulka said. “People who want to communicate with Bluffton Police officers need to have a direct line to them.”

Sulka said the Bluffton Police Department’s Facebook page quietly went public in mid-November and within 24 hours; the page had received about 300 “likes,” now, there are nearly 1,000. Sulka said the reception indicates how people want to be involved and informed about what is happening in their neighborhoods and communities.

“In less than two weeks, Bluffton Police Department has as many people interested in its Facebok page as the Town of Bluffton Government, which started its page more than two years ago,” Sulka said.

Sulka said during the Bluffton branding project, research indicates people are expressing positive sentiments about Bluffton however; it is difficult to harness the comments. Sulka said the Town will use hash tags to collect comments about specific topics.

The public is asked to use the following hash tags about Bluffton:

#blufftonsc (general topics) Remember, there are a handful of towns and cities named Bluffton nationwide.